Youths travel for scholarship competition

The slender junior is a student at Sarasota High School, a sister, a daughter — but most importantly, Yakira is a Christian.

Christianity defines her far more than any other label; she is, she said, beyond excited to journey, along with 40 members of the Church of Hope youth group, REAL, to Orlando in August to perform in the 50th anniversary of The Fine Arts Festival.

"I'm a dancer, but dance is not just a gift and a way to express myself — it's a way to show how much I care," Yakira explained. "When I dance, I'm dancing toward God."

"Being a Christian and reading the Bible reminds us of why we are actually here — this is a test," Yakira continued. "The Bible has what I need to get through my life; it shows me the rules and the right path."

The Fine Arts Festival, sponsored by the Assemblies of God, allows youth groups from across the nation to compete for college scholarships.

It also allows students to have their God-given gifts evaluated by professionals in more than 100 Fine Arts categories.

Led by Casey Casal, youth pastor, REAL boasts more than 200 students.

"We call our youth group REAL because that's what we want to be," Casal said. "We don't want to be fake — or churchy — we want to be real in our faith and in our lives."